1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a chair for a cable splicer that is safe and more stable than the box type stools that are now used by cable splicers. This chair can also be used in fusing fiber optic cables.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modem communications systems throughout the world depend upon systems of cables that are made up of multiple individual transmission lines. These cables must be compact to minimize their size to accommodate their extension through the tubes or pipes through which they extend. It is necessary to connect cables at numerous locations along the network of cables that make up the system of cables. When cable systems are changed, expended or repaired, the damaged cables must be spliced together which requires that each individual circuit in a cable be connected to another individual circuit. Such connections must provide a sound electrical or optical connection between the lines and must be insulated from other lines in the cable. Splicing of cables, especially multi-circuit communications cables, require that the splicer is always concentrating on his or her work and provide a precision splice one-hundred percent of the time. The work must be done at the location where the splice is needed which, at best, can be defined as unpredictable and varied. Large commercial buildings may have a special room or cable chamber into which all external cables ingress and egress and are spliced to the internal cables for the tenants of the building. However, cable splicing often must be accomplished within the narrow confines of a manhole. When there is an emergency as a result of a cable being accidentally severed or destroyed, the cable splicers are often required to work long hours, often in harsh circumstances. The conventional seat currently used by cable splicers is shown in FIG. 4. This prior art seat is referred to in the industry as a xe2x80x9cbutt boxxe2x80x9d and is provided in both wood and plastic. It provides no back rest whatsoever and is not adjustable to accommodate uneven surfaces. As a result, a cable splicer using the prior art seat is often very uncomfortable, experiences considerable strain and can become fatigued after a relatively short work period.
It is an object of the invention to provide a cable splicer seat that is ergonomically sound in the wide variety of work environments that cable splicing must be accomplished.
It is important that the work environment for a cable splicer be optimized to enable the splicer to concentrate on the work in comfort and safety without suffering physical or mental fatigue.
It is an object of this invention to provide a single efficient, effective, economic, strong, stable, portable, collapsible and compact chair for a cable splicer.
Another objective of this invention is to provide a cable splicer chair that has adjustable legs that will allow the chair seat to be level regardless of the level of the terrain upon which the chair is supported.
Another object of this invention is to provide a cable splicer chair in which the overall dimensions of the footprint of the chair can be adjusted to permit a less than optimum minimum footprint to accommodate working in confined quarters, such as manholes, when required and to be adjustable to an optimum sized footprint for use in larger quarters.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a cable splicer chair that includes convenient mechanisms for attaching tools that are used by the cable splicer and locating such tools optimally for an individual cable splicer.
These and other objects of the present invention are provided in a splicing chair, comprising:
a seat assembly including a backrest portion pivotally joined to a seat portion so as to be movable between an expanded seating position and a retracted storage position;
a laterally extending frame assembly including a plurality of support frame members connected together;
at least one of said frame members being extendable so as to take on a longer length;
legs extending from ends of the frame members, the legs configurable so as to take on an extended longer length and a retracted shorter length; and
a seat assembly mount releasably mounting the seat portion above the frame assembly in an operating position and below the frame assembly in a storage position.
Other objects are attained in a splicing chair, comprising:
a seat assembly including a backrest portion pivotally joined to a seat portion so as to be movable between an expanded seating position and a retracted storage position;
a frame assembly including a plurality of support frame members of selectable length connected together in a Y-shape;
legs of selectable length extending from ends of the frame members,
a pivotal mount selectably mounting the seat portion above the frame assembly in an operating position and below the frame assembly in a storage position; and
a pivotal mount pivotally mounting said seat assembly to said frame assembly.